THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH BIRD WALK – Check out the shore birds on this two-hour Harrier Meadow summer bird walk in North Arlington. Walk around the 70-acre natural area, which is normally closed to the public, and look for herons, egrets, shore birds, ospreys, and other raptors. The walk starts at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at Harrier Meadow, on Disposal Road near Schuyler Avenue. Check meadowblog.net for last-minute updates. Participants will have to sign a standard liability release that is good for events throughout the year. To RSVP, call (201) 230-4983.

Submissions are being accepted in all categories for the seventh annual NoHu International Short Film Festival to be held from Oct. 14 to 18 in Union City. The five day festival will include four evenings of screenings of the finalists of the short film competing category and a red carpet awards ceremony on the fifth day. Films should be no longer than fifteen minutes in length. No pornography please.

Those interested may submit their film in DVD format along with a cover letter, synopsis, film credits, awards if any, and contact information to Commissioner Lucio P. Fernandez, Department of Public Affairs, 3715 Palisade Ave., Union City, NJ 07087, Attn: Film Entry. Please include in the cover letter that the entry is being submitted by the property owner or licensee, and giving the City of Union City the right to publicly screen the film as part of the NoHu International Film Festival. DVDs will not be returned.

Entry deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 1. No exceptions. No application form is required and there is no fee. Foreign language films are accepted. This is a juried festival. Please include if this is a world premiere, USA premiere, New Jersey premiere, or Union City premiere. Finalists will be notified via e-mail. Please write contact name, email, and genre on the DVD cover.

Artists, crafters, and vendors wanted for Union City festival

The City of Union City, Mayor Brian Stack, and the Board of Commissioners are seeking artists, crafters, and vendors to participate in the annual Union City Arts & Crafts and Music Festival to be held at Ellsworth Park, New York Ave. and 23rd St. on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The daylong festival will include various performances and activities for children. Artists and crafters interested in participating may reserve a space or obtain information from the Union City Department of Public Affairs, 3715 Palisade Ave., 3rd Floor or by calling (201) 348-5746. The spaces are 10 x 10 feet and participation is free.

Oktoberfest-in-August set for Aug. 16 and 17

On Saturday, Aug.16 and Sunday, Aug. 17 the 140th Oktoberfest-in-August will be celebrated at historic Schuetzen Park, located on Kennedy Blvd. The fun-loving Austrian Boys orchestra will play and Bavarian dancers will thrill with their unique folk dancing. Celebrants will be treated to a host of food concessions, including eel and lox, a German bakery with assorted mouth-watering items, a mini-German beer garden with authentic German beer, and an array of German-American souvenirs, including flags, hats and jewelry.

The festival has been organized to raise money for the Fritz Reuter Altenheim Continuous Care Retirement Community and other charities. Volunteers include the Frauen Verein des Fritz-Reuter-Altenheims with their cake and coffee concession, the Plattduetsch Society of Newark with their delicious potato pancakes and other delicacies, Rheinischer Male Chorus, the Young German-American Club, and the German Education Society.

The 49th Little Miss Schuetzen Park Beauty Pageant for girls ages 7 thru 12 who are of Germanic or part Germanic heritage will be held on Sunday afternoon. There will be clowns and games for children and adults. Additional features include the children’s ice cream walk and the Musskrugstemmen (beer stein holding) competition.

Entrance to the park commences at noon each day and the admission is $10 per adult.

‘Reckless borrowing’ has ravaged NJ transportation, says Prieto

New Jersey’s transportation network is “running on fumes” as a result of flawed borrowing practices, claimed State Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto in a op-ed piece for The Record of Bergen County on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

“New Jersey needs a modern and safe transportation network for its economic survival, but years of foolish borrowing leave our state teetering on the brink of a transportation disaster,” Prieto wrote.

He announced that the Assembly would be hosting hearings over the coming months to address the bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund and how to meet transportation needs.

“The American Society of Civil Engineers notes two-thirds of New Jersey’s roads are in poor or mediocre quality, with 36 percent of the bridges deficient or obsolete,” Prieto stated in the piece.

Among the issues to be addressed are the safety of New Jersey’s bridges, how to improve the roadways, and how mass transit can impact the situation.

Prieto stated a goal of raising about $1.6 billion. A gas tax increase is one option for generating some of the funds, with Prieto insisting that additional bonding should not be considered.